Influence of iron deficiency and lead treatment on behavior and cerebellar and hippocampal polyamine levels in neonatal rats.

Effect of lead exposure and iron-deficiency on polyamine levels in neuronal and glial cells of cerebellum and hippocampus was investigated in weaned rats. Lactating dams with one day old litters were given 0.2% (w/v) lead acetate in drinking water from postnatal day one to twenty one and maintained on an iron-deficient diet. There was an overall reduction of putrescine, spermidine and spermine in neuronal and glial cells of cerebellum and hippocampus consequent to lead exposure and iron-deficiency alone. Lead exposure and iron-deficiency together did not potentiate the polyamine levels in neuronal and glial cells of cerebellum and hippocampus uniformly. However, the enhanced lowering of putrescine in the hippocampal glia, spermidine in cerebellar neuronal and spermine in both neuronal and glial cells of cerebellum during the critical stage of brain development may result in stunted neuronal growth and sprouting in lead exposed and iron-deficient animals. The behavioral alterations as observed in the present study may be due to impaired neuronal development resulting from a depressed polyamine pathway and which could be attributed to cognitive deficits in growing children.